Congratulations to Sonoma County! After a three-year process, the county's waste management agency passed the first reading of an ordinance banning single-use plastic grocery bags yesterday. Once the second reading is approved, the ordinance will become effective in September.

The ordinance applies to all unincorporated areas of Sonoma County, as well as all the cities in the county with the exception of Santa Rosa, which opted out of the ordinance. According to the Press Democrat, Santa Rosa will implement its own ordinance in order to exercise more local control.

The ordinance applies to grocery, clothing, hardware, drug, liquor and convenience stores and other retail stores.

"Any opportunity and action we can take to eliminate a significant source of plastic pollution in our environment is a worthy effort," said Dennis Rosatti, executive director of Sonoma County Conservation Action.